New automotive tires could become more expensive and less safe under legislation proposed by Washington state lawmakers. The proposed bill would give the state Department of Commerce the power to ban the sale of tires it deems harmful to the environment. The bill affects heavier, more durable tires, which sponsors say have greater rolling resistance, making them less energy efficient. But critics say the bill would effectively ban cheaper tires and make those sold less safe. “The simplest way to reduce rolling resistance is to reduce tread depth which, in turn, will reduce wet traction performance,” said Tracey Norberg of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association. “It will reduce tire life and increase the generation of waste tires.”
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